Locomotive stoker



Patented Jan. 27, 1942 LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Dane H. Corey, Erie, Pa., assignor to The Standard Stoker Company, Incorporated, a corporation of Delaware Application November 16, 1938, Serial No. 240,613

5 Claims.

This invention, which relates to stokers of the type employing an upper fuel distributing member against the underside of which fuel is forcibly impinged for subsequent scattering to all parts of the firebed, has for its principal object the provision of an adjustable fuel supporting element directly in front of the pressure fiuid head to the end that distribution of fuel fore and aft of the firebox may be controlled.

It is also an object of this invention to provide, in a stoker of the ype specified, means for supporting the fuel prior to its upward projection by a pressure fluid blast, the supporting means being adjustableso as to afford varying degrees of support for the fuel.

A further object of this invention contemplates the provision of fuel support, in stokers of the type specified, which is movable to a position whereby fuel which passes through the pressure fluid blast falls in an unsupported stream to the rear portion of the firebed.

These andother objects, together with attendant advantages, will become apparent as the following description is read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through the rearward portion of a locomotive boiler to which the invention,-for purpose of illustration only, has been applied and. which is shown in similar section;

Fig. 2 is a plan View taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a view of the stoker mechanism as viewed from withinthe firebox along the line 3--3 of Fig. 1 with portionsremoved.

On the drawing, I designates a locomotive firebox having a backwall II, grates I2 and a firing opening I3 disposed thereabove. Rearward of the backwall I I and below the level of the firing opening I3 is a cab deck I4.

A stoker for delivering fuel to the locomotive firebox I (I is indicated generally by S and includes a conveyor tube I5 leading forwardlyirom the tender (not shown) and at its forward end being universally connected at I 6 to the lower end of the elevating conduit IT. The latter extends upwardlyand forwardly from beneath the cab deck I4 to the firing opening I3, being provided thereat with a casing I8. Intermediate its upper and lower end, the conduit I1 is provided with afoot member 9 secured in known-fashion to a bracket 8 which is rigidly carried by the back head II. At its upper end the conduit I! is secured to the back head II by means of bolts 1 passing through the laterallyextending fiangesz li formed Mil-105.5)

with the casing I8. The casing It embraces the firing opening I3 and on its rearward side is provided with an aperture I9 opposite said firing opening. A fire door 2i comprising a pair of door sections ZI, 22 is utilized to close the aperture I 9. Preferably the firedoor 29 is opened and closed by means of a fluid motor 23.

Fuel is conveyed through the conduits Iii, I? by a conveyor screw which includes a screw section 25 within the tubular conduit I5 and a screw section 2t within the elevating conduit II. A universal joint link 27 flexibly connects the adjacent ends of screw sections 25, 26 in approximate coincidence with the universal joint connection I6. As the fuel is conveyed forwardly and upwardly by the screw 26 of the elevating conduit II, it is urged into the zone of action of a distributing member D which is novel in construction as will hereinafter be more fully described. 7 p

In stokers of the type to which reference has herein been made, it is desirable to dispense with the use of a lower distributing member extending through the firing opening. Instead, a top distributor plate member is utilized and since it is positioned at a substantial height above the level of the firebox grates I2, its life may be materially increased. There is, however, a serious disadvantage in a stoker of this type for the 1 reason that the fuel in passing into the zone of action of a pressure fluid head falls in an unsupporting stream with the result that a considerable portion of the fuel is not projected upwardly against the top distributor member but merely falls onto the rear portion of the fire bed.

In the present embodiment of this invention, fuel is conveyed to the distributor jet member 39 which is positioned at the forward end of the conduit I1 and adjacent the lower marginal edge of the firing opening I3. The pressure fiuid head 30 is chambered as at 3| to receive fluid under pressure from a supply line, such as 32. At its forward end, the pressure fluid head terminates in a front face 33 which is directed toward the firebox II] at an angle of approximately 45 with the horizontal. A plurality of jet apertures 34 are drilled in the face 33, preferably in a staggered relation, for issuing blasts of fluid in an upward and forward direction toward the firebox I0 and in a manner to impinge forcibly the underside 35 of the top distributing plate member 36. The top distributing plate member 36 is disposed above the level of the jet head 30 and is pivoted for verticaladjustment about the axis of a horizontalrshaft =31 which. isljournaled in known fashion within the casing I8. From its rearward end the plate member 36 extends forwardly through the firing opening l3 and is provided with fuel deflecting ribs, such as 38, for guiding fuel to the rear corners of the firebox.

In order that a support for the fuel may be formed prior to upward projection thereof by the blasts of pressure fiuid issuing from head 38, a short ledge 40 is provided at the foremostedge of the pressure fluid head 30 and below the level of the jet aperture 34. This ledge 40 is secured to a pin 4| which is pivotally carried by a pair of ears 42, 43 formed integrally with the presv sure fluid head 30. The pin 4| extends outwardly beyond the ear 42 and has secured thereto an arm 44 the outward end of which is pivotally attached at 45 to a lever 46. The lever 46 is positioned closely adjacent a lateral side of the firing opening 13 and extends rearward so as to pass through a vertically elongated aperture 4? formed in a side wall of the casing IS. The rearward end of the lever 46 is pivotally attached to an arm 49 having a tubular portion 50 which is pivotally mounted on a shaft A handle 52 is also formed with the tubular portion 50 whereby movement of said handle results in movement of the lever 46 for subsequent vertical adjustment of the ledge 40. In order to secure the plate member 40 in any position of vertical adjustment, the tubular portion 50 is provided with a sector-shaped element 53 having a plurality of holes 54 formed therein. The holes 54 are adapted to be engaged by a ball element 55 which is pressed outwardly by means of a spring 56 within the seat 5'! as clearly shown in Fig. 2. With the construction of parts as herein described, it will be apparent that the ledge 40 can assume any position within the range indicated by the full lines and the dot and dash lines in Fig. 1.

By this construction it is possible to control distribution of fuel over the fire bed supported upon grates 12 by merely adjusting the ledge 48 about the axis of the pin 4|. I have found that when the ledge 40 is in the position indicated by the solid lines in Fig. 1, in which position the ledge 40 is parallel to the axis of the jet aperture 34, the fuel falling into the zone of action of the pressure fiuid head 30 is afforded maximum support prior to its upward projection against the under side 35 of the top distributor member 36. When so supported, substantially all of the fuel will be projected to impinge forcibly against the under side 35 whereby its even distribution to all parts of the fire bed is assured. By lowering ledge 40 to the position indicated by dot and dash lines in Fig. 1, the degree of support which is afforded to the fuel will be eliminated with the result that considerable amounts of fuel will fall through the pressure fluid blasts in a more or less unsupported stream resulting in more fuel being delivered along the rearward portion of the firebox. Adjusting the ledge it to positions intermediate those illustrated will result in providing varying degrees of support for the fuel in front of the pressure fluid blasts so that the distribution of fuel fore and aft of the firebox may be controlled. This function will better be understood when the fact is borne in mind that the ledge 40, in such intermediate positions, is not parallel with the axis of the jet aperture 34 and hence the fuel deposited thereon is not projected forwardly along the ledge 4% by the full force of the pressure fluid blasts. It will be understood that some particles of fuel projected upwardly do not strike the underside of the top distributor member 36, but instead travel therebeneath and are deposited upon the firebed.

From the foregoing, those familiar with the art will readily understand that a novel and emcient method for controlling the distribution of fuel has been provided in stokers of the type herein specified.

I claim:

1. In a stoker for feeding fuel to a firebox having an upright wall with a firing opening therein, said stoker comprising a fuel feed conduit communicating with said opening, a pressure fluid head at the forward end of said conduit for directing blasts of pressure fluid in a forward and upward direction, means for urging fuel into the zone of action of said pressure fluid head, a ledge pivotally attached to said pressure fiuid head at a point subjacent the zone of action of such head for pivotal movement about a transverse horizontal axis, means for moving said ledge about its pivotally attached end to assume any one of a number of relative positions with respect to said pressure fluid head, and a superimposed fuel directing element above said pressure fluid head against the underside of which fuel is forcibly impinged for subsequent distribution over the firebox.

2. In a stoker for feeding fuel to a firebox having an upright wall with a firing opening there in, said stoker comprising a fuel feed conduit communicating with said opening, a pressure fluid head at the forward end of said conduit, said pressure fluid head having a sloping front wall provided with a horizontal row of upwardly and forwardly directed spaced jet apertures for the emission of blasts of fiuid under pressure, a ledge pivotally attached to said pressure fluid head at a point subjacent the jet apertures in said sloping front wall for pivotal movement about a transverse horizontal axis, means for moving said ledge about its pivotally attached end to assume any one of a number of relative positions with respect to said pressure fiuid head, and a superimposed fuel directing element above said pressure fluid head against the underside of which fuel is forcibly impinged for subsequent distribution over the firebox.

3. In a stoker for feeding fuel to a firebox having an upright wall with a firing opening therein, said stoker comprising a fuel feed conduit communicating with said opening, means for urging fuel through said conduit, a jet member disposed at the lower forward end of said conduit, said jet member being adapted to be connected to a source of fiuid under pressure and having a front wall provided with a plurality of upwardly inclined orifices for directing said fluid forwardly and upwardly against the fuel flowing over the jet member, a ledge pivotally mounted at its rearward end adjacent the front wall of said jet member and subjacent the orifices therein for movement about a transverse horizontal axis, said ledge being pivotally movable to a position sloping forwardly and downwardly from the horizontal for directing fuel passing through and between the blasts of fiuid under pressure issuing from said orifices to the rear portion of the firebox, said ledge also being pivotally movable toa position sloping forwardly and upwardly from the horizontal to support all the fuel flowing over the jet member in the zone of action of the said blasts of fluid under pressure for the forward and upward projection of all of said fuel,

and means for moving said ledge to either of said positions.

4. In a stoker for feeding fuel to a firebox having an upright wall with a firing opening therein, said stoker comprising a fuel feed conduit communicating with said opening, means for urging fuel through said conduit, a jet member disposed in fixed position at the lower forward end of said conduit, said jet member being adapted to be connected to a source of fluid under pressure and having a front wall provided with a plurality of upwardly inclined orifices for directing said fluid in a spreading blast forwardly and upwardly against the fuel flowing over the jet member, a ledge pivotally mounted at its rear ward end adjacent the front wall of said jet member and subjacent the orifices therein for move ment about a transverse horizontal axis, and means for adjusting said ledge about its pivotal mounting to assume any one of a number of angular positions with respect to the extended axes of said orifices for supporting all the fuel in the zone of action of the spreading fluid blast issuing from said orifices at predetermined distances from the extended axes of said orifices for varying the upward and forward trajectory of the projected fuel.

5. In a stoker for feeding fuel to a flrebox having an upright wall with a firing opening therein, said stoker comprising a fuel feed conduit communicating with said opening, means for urging fuel through said conduit, a jet member disposed at the lower forward end of said conduit, said jet member being adapted to be connected to a source of fluid under pressure and having a front wall provided with a plurality of upwardly inclined orifices for directing said fluid forwardly and upwardly against the fuel flowing over the jet member, a ledge pivotally mounted at its rearward end adjacent the front wall of said jet member and subjacent the orifices therein for movement about a transverse horizontal axis, means for moving said ledge about its pivotally mounted end to assume any one of a number of angularly related positions with respect to the front wall of said jet member, and a superimposed fuel directing element above said pressure fluid head against the under side of which fuel is forcibly impinged for Jsubsequent distribution over the firebox.

DANE H. COREY. 

